2001 Ad

Jet, April 23, 2001

Woods now reigns supreme holding championship titles from the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, and the PGA Championship.

"To win four consecutive majors, if you look at my career, I don't think I have ever accomplished anything this great," said Woods, who finished at 16-under par at 272, two strokes ahead of David Duval and three strokes ahead of Phil Mickleson. "So many things go into a major championship. You've got to have your game peak at the right time. You've got to have everything go right ... Some of the golfing gods must be smiling on me."

En route to this chapter he's written in golf history, the 25-year-old golf phenom kept Masters' viewers around the world on the edge of their seats during the final round of the prestigious tournament.

Unlike the Masters rout in 1997, where Woods, the Michael Jordan of golf, had a 12-stroke lead ahead of competitors, here he only had a one-stroke cushion.

Woods, Duval and Mickleson waged a nail-biting three-way race to the finish.

On the final day of the Masters, Woods, who was three strokes ahead, missed a 3-foot putt for birdie at hole No. 15, allowing Duval and Mickleson to quickly move into contention. Duval kept pace with Woods throughout the day by making seven birdies in his first 10 holes and two bogeys, while Mickleson, who made clutch birdies at holes 8, 13 and 15 moved within one stroke. All three men had a chance, with Woods at 15 under par, and Duval and Mickleson at 14 under.

Then Woods proved who had the heart of a Tiger.

He began to make almost every putt he needed, including par-savers on holes 9 and 10, including the "slam-dunk" birdie on the last hole.

"That stretch was crucial," Woods said. "I could have fallen behind. David was making birdies in front of me. Phil was making birdies with me. I couldn't afford to lose ground."

Under what could be looked at as gargantuan-like pressure, Woods seemed oddly at ease during the final moments.

"It's a weird feeling, one I've never had before. I don't know what to say. I sort of (had) an eerie calmness," Woods said. "As a kid, you don't dream about things like winning four-straight majors ... Am I amazed? I am amazed I was able to play as well as I was able to play when I needed it. I guess that's why I pound thousands and thousands of balls and practice until dark-for this moment."

Woods has been a golf phenomenon most of his life. And he's been swinging golf clubs since he was 2 years old. By the time he was 3 years old, he shot 48 for 9 holes. Woods later appeared on the "Mike Douglas Show" and putted with legendary entertainer, Bob Hope. Three years later, he was featured on "That's Incredible," showing off his unbelievable swing.

The records began falling by the time he was 14 when he was the youngest to win the Insurance Youth Golf Classic. The following year, he became the youngest person ever to win the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. He won the same championship the following year, becoming the only golfer to win it twice.

In the midst of his junior title wins, Woods told EBONY in 1991 that his dream was to be "the Michael Jordan of golf. It means being responsible, handling the media, being a superb athlete and being kind to people."

Woods, born in 1975, attended Stanford University in 1994 where he continued to win more amateur titles until he decided to leave his studies to pursue a professional golfing career in 1997.

During that same year, at age 21, he won golfs prestigious Masters Tournament, his first major title. Woods became the youngest and first Black to win the Masters. His 12stroke victory over Tom Kite was not only a Masters record by three strokes, but the greatest winning margin in any of the four major golf events since Tom Morris Sr. won in the 1862 British Open by 12-strokes (JET, April, 28, 1997).

Woods has managed to snatch the golf world and shake it up just like his trademark fist-pump. Worldwide, he has won the most career golf prize money ever-more than $28 million in only five years. Woods is the greatest golfer in the world, period.

Americans know greatness is earned, not granted. Woods, who used the wits of a champion chess player, the stamina of a marathon runner and the moxie of a world-class boxer rope-a-doping his opponent, stayed one step ahead.

"This is really special," Woods said of his championship win. "When I won (the Masters) in '97, I hadn't been a pro a full year yet. I was a little young, a little naive. I didn't appreciate what I had done. I have a much better appreciation for major championships now. To win four of them in succession is hard to believe."